Review by Jacqueline Thomas
Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023
28 pages, Hardcover, $22.99 CDN, 9781534471320
Picture Book, Ages 4-8
Fiction
The next day, Ethan and Sam pick up the kittens. They each received a vaccination and a clean bill of health.
“Dusty acts so friendly,” Sam tells Ethan. “Dr Ross said he’d place her for adoption if he had room.”
“I knew it.” Ethan smiles.
“You know dad probably won’t let you have a cat,” Sam reminds him.
“He might,” Ethan says, “if you ask him too”
Ethan really wants a cat, and on his walk home from school with his brother Sam, he encounters three little strays, who he names Misty, Fluffy, and his favourite orange friend, Dusty. He is worried about how they will survive in the cold and wondering what will happen to them if they have kittens. But with the help of some research and his local veterinary clinic’s Trap-Neuter-Return program, he is able to find out how he can protect them as best he can.
This book does a great job of maintaining Ethan’s agency to make decisions and even when the boys’ dad and a male vet named Dr. Ross are mentioned, it is Ethan’s choices which spur action. Sam is older and takes on a supportive role and only intercedes to remind Ethan of boundaries.
The artwork within the story is incredibly helpful to get an insight on the boys, their personalities, and the world around them. Ethan’s bright coloured winter coat and his frizzy, fluffy hair visually indicate how optimistic and joyful he is, at his age, while Sam dresses in darker colours with only pops of colours. Still, both of the boys stand out against the muted and grey toned backgrounds depicting the place they live, which in turn brightens when they discover the trap neuter and return program. The world portrays winter in the suburbs well, and evokes feelings of nostalgia.
The book introduces the Trap-Neuter-Return program to readers, which I had never heard of before this reading. The program is an alternative to overcrowded animal shelters, seeking to minimize overpopulation of stray cats in the future. The book lightly touches on the problem of overcrowded shelters but I would have loved a bit more on the importance of adopting from shelters rather than pet stores or breeders. I appreciated the guide with resources in the back of the book on how to be a part of the Trap-Neuter-Return program.
The book is centered around feelings of empathy for stray animals and providing achievable solutions. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a younger person in their lives who is sensitive to animals and who may have a passion to help them.
Jacqueline is a second year psychology student at UBC. She has been reading since before she could talk (confirmed by her mother) and you will often find her daydreaming about the next book, short story or screenplay she wants to write rather than doing her work. She is also a dancer, expert music playlist maker, and constantly fighting her cat about how early she should be fed (it’s never gonna be at 5am, Cheeto).
YOUNG ADULTING 